The coffee giant has added the boxes in at least two dozen U.S. markets, Business Insider reported. The company did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The chain has been training employees to treat anyone who walks in the door as a customer, whether they intend to make a purchase or not. The policy move followed a highly publicized confrontation in Philadelphia last April where a store manager called police on two black patrons. The open-door policy offers a fresh set of challenges, employees have said, from more homeless or mentally ill visitors and even a surprise bathroom birth.
Workers called for the chain to install needle-collection boxes in its bathrooms as employees have reported finding blood and needles, Business Insider reported, citing an Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation. DM